Imagine You, a K-Drama Protagonist, on a Dumpling Quest Through Gwinnett

Let’s say your weekend plans are looking a little… blah. Maybe you need a goal. Maybe you just want a reason to eat ten things in one afternoon without guilt. Either way, the Seoul of the South™ Pass is your new best excuse to wander Gwinnett like you’ve been dropped into your favorite food-forward K-drama.

Explore Gwinnett just launched this free mobile pass—part foodie field trip, part cultural love letter—and I honestly can’t stop thinking about how genius it is. Here’s how it works:

It’s a passport, but make it spicy.
You sign up online (zero apps, zero cost), get a digital “pass” texted to your phone, and start checking in at Korean-owned restaurants, cafés, bakeries, spas, and karaoke joints around Gwinnett. The whole thing’s GPS-based, so no stamp-stamp-stamp nonsense—just show up, eat well, and check in with a tap.

There are 33 spots, and they’re not playing.
You’ve got your legends like Honey Pig and Jang Su Jang. But also:

• Cozy cafés like Cafe Mixx and Tree Story
• K-beauty stores with enough serums to trigger an identity crisis
• Sauna stops like JeJu and Spa Land (honestly, yes please)
• Karaoke bars with the right kind of low lighting to unleash your full IU ballad phase

Basically, you could build an entire weekend around this pass and still not hit them all.

And yes, there are prizes. Like actual ones.
You rack up points with every check-in, and the rewards are kind of hilarious in the best way.
Here’s the vibe:

• 4 points = sticker pack and entry into a Spa Land gift card drawing
• 8 points = reusable chopsticks and straw
• 12 points = K-beauty toiletry bag
• 16 points = Seoul of the South™ tee (you will wear this with pride at H-Mart)
• 20 points = an actual kimchi-making kit because why wouldn’t that be the final boss prize

You’ve got 365 days from your first check-in to earn and claim your swag. And yes, you do need to physically go to the Explore Gwinnett office in Duluth to pick it up—worth it.

Why it matters (and not just for your stomach).
Gwinnett has the largest Korean population in the South, and it shows—in the food, the businesses, the vibes. This isn’t just a novelty crawl. It’s a way to support and celebrate the people and places that have shaped the county into a culinary destination with serious soul (and Seoul).

Sarah Park’s legendary sold-out food tours helped launch this whole thing, and now it’s like they’ve handed you the map—and said, “go make it yours.”

I’ll go first. Meet me at 9292 for BBQ, then let’s hit Confections Bakery for something flaky and impossible to pronounce but worth every crumb. Spa Land after? Karaoke if we’re brave?

Bring stretchy pants. Let the pass guide you. No passport required.